10/13/12

Here's another in a series of columns (see also here and here) on physician assisted suicide (a question on the Massachusetts ballot this November 6) from the blog of Cardinal Sean O'Malley:

The slippery slope of assisted suicide
Proponents of physician-assisted suicide tell us that there is no
danger of a slippery slope, that in Oregon the cases are “not that
numerous” and are “carefully monitored.” I hope that reasonable people
will question these claims and reflect further on whether a law with
insufficient safeguards is what we want in the commonwealth.

Slippery slope arguments involve small decisions that lead to
undesirable outcomes that never would have been supported at the outset.
Often, it is impossible to prove that one small step will have
significant negative effects, but common sense allows reasonable people
to judge the likelihood that a sequence of events that have happened in
one place are likely to happen in another place in a similar way.

Question 2 proposes to allow physician-assisted suicide for those
diagnosed with a terminal illness with six months or less to live. Many
groups are concerned that, if passed, it not only would be harmful in
itself, but could lead to unintended tragic outcomes. (1) Elder
advocates are concerned that it could become a new form of elder abuse.
(2) Advocates for the disabled are concerned it could lead to “quality
of life” standards in our society, where those with a lower perceived
quality of life receive fewer benefits or protections. (3) Doctors and
nurses are concerned it could lead to a lower “quality of care” for
those at the end of life. (4) Doctors are also concerned that it could
undermine the doctor-patient relationship. (5) Ethicists are concerned
that it could lead to a devaluing of human life. (6) Suicide-prevention
organizations are concerned that the state legally allowing suicide for
one group (those with terminal diagnoses of fewer than six months to
live) could lead to increased suicide rates for the rest of the
population. (7) Those who have studied the evolution of this matter in
the Netherlands are concerned that assisted suicide could lead, first to
voluntary euthanasia (requesting direct help to end one’s life), and
then to involuntary euthanasia (where a third-party determines that, if
the patient were in his right mind, he would choose euthanasia).

Asserting that something could happen is not the same as stating that
something will happen. Here are some facts that lead the groups above
to be concerned. Please judge for yourself whether you agree with the
risk that one or all of these concerns might occur in Massachusetts if
we took the first step this Election Day by voting to legalize assisted
suicide.

Are you thinking about becoming a Catholic?

The best place to start is always one of your local Catholic churches. Drop in some Sunday and see what's going on. Then you might speak to the pastor or someone on the parish staff about how they can help you and respond to your questions.